Maybe not. I presume this is a criterion referenced standards based test
like the ones administered to all third, sixth, and tenth graders in my
state (NH). Low scores reveal that the district is failing its students (or
that the district's view of what children need to know and be able to do is
different from that of the state's). The school board, administration, and
teachers need to look at their curriculum and how they teach.
I believe that tests of this nature do not tell how well or badly the
students perform, but how well or badly the system performs. I further
believe that in a well oiled system, it may seem like teachers aren't
teaching to the test, but that is because they are doing precisely that
right from grade K. They are not cramming into three weeks what should take
eight years to cover.
The school district in which I live has the dubious distinction of being
among the ten lowest scoring districts in the state. Teachers complained
vociferously that the tests were too difficult, unfair, invalid,
inappropriate, etc. But what happened was that the tests caused everyone to
look closely at what we were doing, and we are beginning to create a much
better education system in terms of mission, curriculum, administration, and
teaching. The test was painful, but it was not a waste of time.
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